so what you are saying, getting a seperate IEmatch from ifi, is better than the build in? The problem I have with the 3,5. I don't know if I explain it correctly, to me it sound missing some stage, which I is there with the balanced.
You may be "hearing things".
The balanced out is created by taking the output of SE Headphone amp and inverting it in a second copy of the original amp.
So, baring other factors the BAL output will have 9db more noise and 6 dB more odd order distortion.
In the end "iEMatch" is a resistor voltage divider based on a device from pro audio called the "power soak" which was used in studios to allow the guitar player use his amp and speakers in the studio, heavily overdriving the amp (and normally also making a lot of noise even when not playing and even more when) to keep the tone and lower noise and guitar levels to be usable.
So a correctly designed and implemented "iEMatch" circuit is essentially transparent and keeps a source impedance to the headphone that is suitable.
So first I would question why "to me it sound missing some stage, which I is there with the balanced." And if that is real, rather than a trick of perception.
If real, could it relate to cables?
Many variables.
On but I have to use IEmatch, but both suck because of that.
Remember, internally the balanced out is just the same as SE, with levels doubled over SE (+6dB) and extra noise and distortion. Strictly speaking on sound purity, SE on the Gryphon should always be better, if levels are sufficient.
If it is not and we exclude "you just like distortion" as cause ( I dislike it as excessively cynical, which is saying something), it would be worth digging a bit more.
right now I am looking for a better solution than the xdsd gryphon
For IEM I'd look at IEM specific amps. I would suggest the original xDSD for anything it drives well should be a better choice than Gryphon.
If the original xDSD is still too noisy (it is for example for Andromedas) just add a 3.5mm iEMatch (ultra for Andro's).
What I did for the iDSD micro which includes iEMatch was to make a headphone amplifier with around 120dB SNR at unity gain (aka Eco) and noise that scaled with gain (turbo has 24dB more gain but also 24dB more noise and distortion) and "soaking" (ultra has 24dB less signal but also 24dB less noise).
But is on the chunky side. Mind you, it is selectable between 12V, 6V, 2V, 0.5V and 0.125V for full signal and volume at clipping limit. All with pretty much even stevens noise.
As a result, it can drive headphones with a 48dB difference in sensitivity (say >124dB/V IEM's to 86dB/V AKG K-1000) in one device. Invariably being all things to all men means there will be some not served that well, according to their view, if only because "dedicated" obviously bests "multiple selection" every time, even if dedicated just removes the switched and hardwires them.
The "Gryphon" is a copy paste merge of products I designed, without actually understanding each original design and adding in "iEMatch" somehow, with the same single cheap switch used for the SE only iEMatch to handle both SE and BAL.
I cannot see how to do it witout excessive compromises.
The correct solution would have been to have one switch each for 3.5mm and 4.4mm and to offer both lo & hi settings for each (for balanced this needs a 4-pole 3 position switch and actually 18/30dB attenuation) and with 2.5 Ohm and 1 Ohm approximate output impedance.
Your perception of "3.5mm sounds worse" in the context sounds to me, based on long experience like one of the following:
Incorrect level matching - read the perceived difference are down to loudness as opposed to actual differences (the louder but otherwise identical source in A/B testing is preferred band described as being more dynamic and having better soundstage)
Badly designed 3.5mm cable that causes excessive crosstalk.
Expectation bias, we expected the much hyped and advertised balanced out to sound better than SE (when in reality the reverse is true) and that is what we hear, regardless of what the reality is.
Note, I am far from the "all sounds the same blind" position. But it is easy to deceive oneself. Or as Nietzsche put it charitably, we are all better impressionist artists than we credit ourselves.
Seeing the current approach to both engineering and commercial operations at iFi compared to what things were in my time and seeing today, I feel iFi has turned from the original motto of "we will not make something we would not buy retail with our own money" into pretty much the opposite.
But that may be my expectation bias. Maybe current iFi product are better than they ever were when I designed them and much better value for money than back then and I'm just prejudiced so I cannot see it.
Thor
